Powered can opener



July i7 1953 cs. A. PoLlcAs-m@ 2,560,963

POWERED cAN OPENER y Filed March 14, 1947 Patented July 17, 1.951

UNITED sTATEs I.PATENT OFFICE POWERED CAN OPENER George A. Policastro, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 14, 1947, Serial N o. 734,608

1 Claim. (Cl. 30-4) This invention relates to powered can openers, and more particularly to an improved can opener of this type that employs a rotatable traction element for operating a can relative to` a cutter, to cause severance of the can top. I f f A principal object of this invention is to provide, in a device of this sort, improved means for holding the can in operative engagement with the traction element, while such element is functioning to move the can.

Another object of the invention is the provi,- sion of a can opener that may be operated without risk to the operator.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a can opener that is adjustable to different sizes of cans.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can be operated with a single movement of the hand to automatically rotate the can and sever the cover.

Other objects will appear to those skilled in the art from the description of the invention.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partially ln section, of the complete apparatus.

Figure 2 is an elevation of platform, as viewed from the right of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an isometric view showing the electrical contact for starting the motor.

Figure 4 is an isometric view showing the adjustable platform for holding the can.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the electrical contact.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the same contact.

Essentially, the apparatus comprises a platform IIJ that is movable vertically in accordance with the size of the can, a cutter 20 for engaging the top of the can as the latter is rotated on the platform, a feeding disc 30 for engaging the side of the can, and a motor 40 for supplying the motive power for the feeding disc 30 a portion of the The platform IIJ, on which the can is supported, has a laterally extending key II adapted to ride in a vertical slot I2 formed in a standard I3. 'Ihe standard I3 is further provided centrally thereof with a ratchet track I4. Secured to the under side of the platform I0 by means of a rivet I5, or otherwise, is an elastic catch I6 provided with a release button I1. There is a sliding flt between the platform IIJ and the groove I2 of the upright I3, so that the platform I0 is freely movable in the groove I2.

At the top of the apparatus is a horizontal arm `2I, and integral therewith or irmly secured thereto is a vertical strap 22 adapted to travel vertically for a limited extent in the tracks 23 and 24. The knife or cutter 20 is fixed to the underside of the arm 2|. The upper surface of the arm 2I is provided with a knob 25 with which to depress the arm ZI and the track 22 against the action of coil springs 25 and 26 that bear against the bottom of the strap 22.

The feeding disc 30 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 3|, which is driven by two bevel gears 32 and 33. The gear 33 is fixed on a vertical shaft 34 that is actuated by the electric motor 40.

The electrical switch for the motor 40 00mprises two Xed contacts 4i and 42, and two contacts 43 and 44 mounted on the bottom of the movable strap 22. The two contacts 43 and 44 are joined by a conducting metallic plate 45, and for the purposes of insulation a fibre piece 46 is positioned between the conducting plate 45 and the strap 22. n

The whole apparatus is mounted on a base 50.

If desired, a permanent magnet or electromagnet 5I may be attached to the under side of the arm 2I for the purpose of holding the detached top of the can after severance.

To operate the device, a can, represented by the dotted outline 60, is positioned on the platform I0, and the latter is adjusted for proper height by means of the push-button Il and the ratchet track I4. This height is such that when the arm 2| is depressed manually, the knife or cutter 20 will enter the top of the can. For this purpose, a guard 6I is mounted in :xed position on the upper portion of the upright I3, and the guard 6I is adapted to abut the upper surface of the can when the latter is in proper adjustment.

The knob 25 is then depressed, carrying with it the arm 2I and the strap 22. This movement need be only slight enough to enable the knife 20 to enter the can, and may be of the order of half an inch. The downward movement of the strap 22 is sufficient to bring the contacts 43 and 44 into engagement respectively with the contacts 4I and 42, thereby completing the electrical circuit between the motor 40 and the source of energy. By means of the vertical shaft 34 and the bevel gears 32' and 33, the feeder disc 3E) will be caused to rotate about its horizontal shaft 3|. The teeth of the disc 3i] will engage the upper cylindrical surface of the can 60 to rotate the latter, whereby the top of the can is detached.

When the cutting has been accomplished, the

hand is removed from the knob 25, and the coil springs '25 and 26 will at once restore the strap 22 and the arm 2| to their inoperative positions, and at the same time the electrical contacts will be broken. The magnet 5I, will retain the detached lid of the can until the can 6D can be removed. The magnet 5l may be pivoted at its center and be movable for the purpose of reducing friction between it and the topof` the can. For this purpose, it may also have ball or roller bearings.

What is claimed is:

A can opener comprising a rising from said base and having one end'fixedly supported thereon, a vertically disposed l st rapf arranged in spaced parallel face to face'relation with respect to said standardaiid 1resiliei-tlymounted on said base for up and down movement, a horizontally disposed arm positioned adjacent the upper end of said strap and having one end fixedly secured to said strap the other end extending beyond said standard, a cut-` ter positioned inwardly of and spaced from said other 'end of said arm and dependingly supported from the latter, a platform positioned adjacent the 'nonlconfronting face of said standard and mounting on said standard for up 'and down movement with'r'espeet to said arm for the support of a can to'b'e punctured, a horizontally disposed guard fiXedly supported on the other end of said standard and' having one end engageable base, a standard with the top of said can, a ratchet track on the non-confronting face of said standard, means carried by said platform and engageable with said ratchet track for holding said platform in any select position of its up and down movement, a motor, a vertically disposed drive shaft positioned between said strap and said standard and connected to said motor, a horizontally disposed driven' shaft rotatably supported in saidstandard'adjacei-itsaid'-other'endfthereof; a disc carried by said driven shaft engageable with the periphery of said can to thereby rotate said can while supported on said platform, bevel gearing voperatively connecting said drive shaft to said 'drivenshaft,l `and switch means embodying a contact carried by vthe lower end of said strap and'engageable'with" a contact on the adjacent portionof said base upon down movement of said strap for actuating saidy motor.

REFEI'aENoEs CITED Thefollowing' references arel'of record in' the:

file of this patent:

2,286,303 Pearson' M June 16, 1942 

